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The fundamentals behind visual hierarchy
We live in a very busy time. Everything is screaming for our attention — our phones, laptops, television and so on. Yet, when we stumble across an App or a digital product something just feels and flows naturally, but we don’t always know why. It’s often the visual composition of elements coming together. When these UI elements are organized and structured properly, users can easily navigate and understand the product. The ability to create a compelling story through fonts and visual hierarchy is something every designer should have in their toolkit as it goes beyond visual aesthetic and has a large impact on user experience. When components are structured wisely, users can navigate and interact with a product without friction and effort, thus having an enjoyable experience.
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Creating visual hierarchy is the foundation behind any successful product. It creates an order of importance to elements in order to direct a user’s attention and make information easier to consume. Through the use of colour, contrast, texture, shape, positioning, orientation and size the most important information is easily surfaced. Hierarchy helps to create a focal point, gives the user an entry point to start consuming designs, and guides them to the most important information.
So, what makes a powerful visual hierarchy? Of course, different kinds of products require…